Definition Theatre Announces First Recipients Of Amplify Commissions

Definition Theatre announces the recipients of its Amplify new play commissions. Chosen from feedback from the Definition Theatre ensemble and showcase audience, the commission recipients include Lot 110 by Nora Carroll, Corazones by Luna Dragon Mac-Williams, What a Time to be Alive (You Say That Every Time) by Paul Michael Thomson, and are you ready to smash white things? by Ireon Roach.

As a part of the program, each winner will undergo a play development process with Definition Theatre as well as a payment of $2,000, two workshops, and a final public reading of the play.

Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips says, "It is imperative to support Chicago artists by holding space for them to find their voice. We have great expectations for these incredibly talented playwrights and look forward to watching these four plays develop with great care."

Amplify was created to provide space and resources to writers in the development of new works during the pandemic and to create a collaborative community for them to hear, see, and experience their work, amplified and actualized. Developed to empower and uplift underrepresented theatre creatives, Amplify is part of a larger initiative to capture new cultural expressions across the South Side of Chicago.

After an open submission period, the Definition ensemble selected eight short play excerpts that were then filmed at the Green Line Performing Arts Center. The Definition ensemble will subsequently choose up to four finalist playwrights, whose work feels most suited for the company, to be commissioned for continued engagement leading to a full staged reading as a part of the opening of Definition's new space in Woodlawn.

For additional information, visit definitiontheatre.org.